Four games pirated for every one game sold

British game publishing trade organisation, the UKIE, has said that the ratio of pirated games to purchased games is approaching 4-to-1.

"Based on 2010 games sales figures, even if only one illegal game was downloaded or physically copied for every legal game sold this would have cost the industry £1.5bn last year," said UKIE boss Michael Rawlinson.

The UKIE said that the trade group is looking to commission research into game piracy in the UK and how to address the issue. 

"Money from piracy goes to criminals and not to local businesses and the UK’s economy; it gives gamers sub-standard gaming experiences and it unfairly damages the individuals and small businesses whose hard work creates the games in the first place."